[center] [color=39b54a][h1] Nia [/h1][/color][/center]

Nia pulled back on Frost's reigns, stopping the white stallion at the stables next to Solitude.  She let a few gold coins slip from her fingers to pay the man at the stables for keeping her horse, in exchange for a delicate sweep of her paw which emptied the gold he had in his pocket.  She was refreshingly late to the meeting at Castle Dour.  Honestly, this was partly because she wasn't the biggest fan of the Imperials, or the Empire for that matter.  Mainly because of their ties with the Thalmor, who had tried to kill Qa'va more times than she could count.  It might have had something to do with when she'd broken into a Thalmor stronghold and stolen a few Dossiers which were clearly not meant to be seen by her eyes.  Mainly they were reports about the Thalmor's plans in Skyrim, and held some very.. enlightening facts about the Thalmor secretly helping the Stormcloaks with the civil war in order to assure the Empire would remain firmly under their thumb.  She'd been planning to drop a copy of the plans on Ulfric's doorstep just to watch his reaction.  That had been before the Dragonborn was murdered.

She missed the Nord's company more than she cared to admit.  Far from her usual marks, the stories he told her about dragons and delving into ancient ruins had actually been very interesting.  The most fascinating conversation they had when they were together was the one about dragon tongue.. when he'd attempted to teach her to speak the language.  Of course.. it had been a complete failure.. but under his guidance she was able to understand select words in the tongue. And the sex.. well.. there was something exciting about bedding a man who could literally shout her to pieces if he felt like it.

It was pointless dwell on things of the past. What was done was done.  He was gone.. and so was a major source of revenue for the guild.  So.. she'd decided to do something about it.  For starters.. getting revenge on the man who'd decided to plunge a dagger into the throat of the Dragonborn.  He had been her toy, and the fact he had died before she was finished playing with him was a never ending source of irritation for Nia.  Getting revenge on Starkad was the first step to healing her guild.  This was the first time she'd actively wanted to kill someone so badly.. and for a moment she wondered if this is how Kriisa felt every day of her life.

She pushed the doors to the chamber open, and was immediately stopped by three guards.  [color=f7976a]"We have no need of your kind here."[/color] the guard in the center snarled.

Nia's tail twitched in irritation and she exposed her invitation letter.  She placed it in the Guard's hand and the man froze, his eyes scanning the page.  His face whitened significantly.  A handwritten letter from Kriisa, with her name delicately etched delicately in the top.  It alluded to the fact that Qa'va had been in a relationship with the Dragonborn at the time of his untimely demise.  It also invited her to come to this meeting, asking if she might like to join them in revenge against Dovahsken.

[color=f7976a]"I heard the Dragonborn took a lover.. but i did not think his lover was...."[/color]

Nia smirked, a purr coming from the back of her throat.  [color=39b54a]"A Khajiit? Yes. Most reactions to this discovery are.. similar."[/color] She snatched the letter back from his hands, smoothing it delicately in her white-furred paws.  Without another word to the guards, she sauntered past them and into the meeting room.

[color=00aeef]"Qa'va?"[/color] General Tullius breathed as the almost ghostly white Khajiit approached the table. The two had met on several occasions. The first time had been at a peace meeting between the Stormcloaks and Imperials, where the Dragonborn had insisted she join the peace talks and introduced her as his girlfriend.  She could still recall the shocked expressions spreading across the table, most notably were the horrified expressions coming from both Ulfric, Tullius, and the Thalmor representative.  It had been entertaining to say the least, and sometimes Nia thought back to that very moment to make herself smile.  After the peace talk, Nia had used the other meetings to convince Tullius her relationship with the Dragonborn was a pure one.  [color=00aeef]"I thought you would be in mourning.  What are you doing here?"[/color]

Nia shot Tullius a glance.  [color=39b54a]"I was in mourning.  But then i decided sitting around on my ass doing nothing was no way to honor his memory.  So.. when i found this letter on the steps of Breezehome.. i chose to come here.  I want revenge.  Starkad took nim.  And Starkad will pay for what he has done."[/color]  There was a determined gleam in her eyes as she spoke, laying the paper on the table.

[color=00aeef]"You know this Dark Brotherhood Skum?"[/color] General Tullius asked, lip curling in disgust.

Nia shot him a glare.  [color=39b54a]"Kriisa is a friend and ally of myself and the Dragonborn, she is reliable because she is from the Dark Brotherhood.  Her trade is one of killing.  She can prove immensely useful to us."[/color] She moved towards Kriisa, a smile spread across her face.  [color=39b54a]"It's good to see you again."[/color]  She turned to survey the others behind Kriisa.  It was almost like the punchline of a bad joke, two Imperials, a Redguard, and a Dark Elf.  And then.. her.  The Khajiit.  

Tullius glanced between Kriisa and Nia, trying to put two together in his mind.  [color=00aeef]"I don't trust her."[/color]

Nia's ears flicked in annoyance and her tail lashed back and forth.  [color=39b54a]"Well.. its a good thing she's not going to be working with you then, isn't it."[/color] Then there was flash of sharp white teeth as she spoke in a hiss. [color=39b54a]"You forget, Kriisa was with him on many of his journeys.  She was a close ally and friend.  She was with him when he died.. a luxury i did not have, as i was elsewhere."[/color]

Most of the bitterness in her voice was actually disappointment caused by the fact her prey had been taken from her before she'd finished playing with it.  Because seducing the Dragonborn had been the score of the century.  Using his influence, she'd managed to spring a few of her guild members from jail.  She'd been planning to use his connections with the Jarls to start putting her guild on the map again. And now all of that was ruined.

[color=39b54a]"What exactly did she have planned?"[/color]

[color=00aeef]"She claims to know of a group of Dovasken's mages are headed to-."[/color]

Nia instantly scraped her claws against the table rather loudly, her eyes burning like fire.  As the room fell silent and all eyes turned to her, she hissed. [color=39b54a]"Let's refer to him as Starkad, shall we?  As far as i am concerned, he does not deserve to be called anything in the dragon tongue."[/color]

After the room was silent for a moment, Tullius tried again. [color=00aeef]"She.. said she knows a group of Dov- Starkad's mages.. headed to Dragon Bridge.  Claims there is no dragon in the area."[/color]

Nia glanced at Kriisa, her ears flicking.  [color=39b54a]"I think it is worthy of our attention.  Every rebellion starts off small.  And taking the five of us into battle.. we will be able to get in and out without anyone even noticing.  It's better than no plan at all."[/color]